


Ripples on Time's Stream

by Aurya



Category: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-16 19:04:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21276185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurya/pseuds/Aurya
Summary: A young farm girl who grew up on her grandmother's stories discovers something that changes her perspective for evermore.





	1. Discovery of the Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule Warriors is... DIFFICULT to write a fanfic for. The gameplay of a Warriors game revolves around your chosen character cutting a swath through an entire army. That doesn't translate well to written form. And it especially feels foreign for someone who wants to write a Hyrule Warriors fanfic because they're a Zelda fan, since the Zelda series is a much-more easily novelized "hero facing enemies one at a time" scene, with possible cases of huge swarms of enemies ganging up that requires different tactics.  
(Yes, I'm coming off a bad encounter with a Bokoblin camp in Breath of the Wild, shut up)
> 
> Long story short, it took me a lot of effort to figure out how to make this work.

"Princess!"

Link and Zelda both turned towards the call; Impa was dashing across the still-scorched Hyrule Field, looking glad to see them. "Impa!" Zelda greeted. Then, on seeing the state she was in; "Goddesses, what happened to you? You look like you've been through demons."

"Very nearly," Impa admitted. "Monsters attacked while you were gone."

"What?" Zelda started. "Monsters?"

"The remnants of Ganondorf's forces," Impa explained. "I cannot pretend to understand why."

Zelda was shocked. "But, while we were gone... There's no way you could have-"

Impa nodded. "Yes. None of the soldiers had tended to their wounds yet. Half the army was barely able to carry their shields."

Not certain she wanted to hear it, but knowing she had to know, Zelda asked, "How many casualties?"

A smile rose on Impa's face. "None."

Link's expression - somewhere between befuddlement and astonishment - said more than words could ever hope to. Zelda shared his notion, incredulity in her voice as she echoed, "_None?_"

"None," Impa confirmed. "We had some unexpected assistance."

She turned back the way she had come; Link was surprised to find someone in a green tunic approaching them. However, any concerns about a displaced hero left behind from the temporal distortions faded as she - yes, it _was_ a she - got closer; her tunic was hooded, there were crossbows hooked on her boots, and it was clear that they had met before, for she seemed to stumble. "Oh, Princess Zelda!"

Impa turned to the princess. "You've met?"

"Long story," Zelda dismissed. "Linkle, right?"

Link double-took at that.

The girl, Linkle, nodded as Impa spoke. "She arrived as the monsters were beginning to appear, kept the entire enemy force at bay as the soldiers patched their wounds, and then single-handedly struck down a King Dodongo."

Linkle was blushing. "I-I'm sure you're exaggerating."

Zelda shook her head. "I assure you, Impa does not exaggerate... in praise." Impa seemed to take umbrage at that last bit, turning away with a light huff as the princess continued; "It would seem you've done us a great boon. We are in your debt."

"No, of course not," Linkle insisted. "I was just doing my duty as the hero!"

A subtle movement of Zelda's hand interrupted anything Link - or Proxi - might have been about to say. "The world can never have enough heroes," she admitted. "But no one's duty should involve fighting in the stead of an army. If there is anything we can do to repay you, please, allow us."

After a moment, Linkle glanced down at herself. "I've... been travelling for a good few weeks," she admitted. "And the closest thing I've had to a bath was a short dip in a hot spring."

Link snickered, and Zelda found herself giggling. "You are more than welcome to stay the night," she assured.

Linkle's gaze shot up. "In _Hyrule Castle?_"

Zelda looked up at the battered structure. "Insomuch as it still deserves to be called that..."

* * *

The castle was indeed rather lacking in opulence; Ganondorf's brief tenure as tenant had not been kind to it, and it rather looked as though it had seen a Great Fairy rain bombs upon it. There were gaps large enough to pass through in nearly every wall, the floors were covered in cracks, and several ceilings had been reduced to rubble, leaving many rooms completely unusable. However, though the infirmary had received damage, the medical supplies were intact, allowing the soldiers' wounds to be patched; further, among the rooms still intact enough to be usable were the baths, the dining hall, and the bedrooms, meaning Zelda's invitation still meant as much to Linkle as it would have in all of Hyrule's glory.

A banquet, as best they could manage, was held in celebration of Hyrule's certain victory against the dark forces; Linkle went to sleep that night in a soft bed, with a full stomach and a clean body, for the first time in weeks. She had been surprised to hear several familiar names mentioned and praised during conversations held over dinner - Darunia, Ruto, Midna, Fi - and realized that her efforts to reach Hyrule Castle had ended up assisting the Hyrulean Army all over the kingdom.

Also, the swordsman in green was apparently named Link. Linkle reasoned that having two people in the same colour with similar names made it very easy to get them confused.

The next day found Linkle departing for her village; when offered accompaniment for the trip, she politely refused, and proceeded to set out on her own.

* * *

A few days' - or possibly weeks' - travel later, she was convinced that she had taken a wrong turn. She was standing in a rather ominous-looking wood that she was certain she'd never been to before; a few paces further took her to what seemed to be a garden, with massive red and violet flowers growing from the hedges. There was also a strange statue nearby; a young boy playing an ocarina, in a tunic that had an odd resemblance to that of the swordsman she'd met when Princess Zelda returned to Hyrule Castle.

A little further away, she found another statue - this one of a wolf in a threatening pose. It seemed familiar, and after a moment Linkle realized that it was similar to those wolves that Midna had commanded when they'd fought along side each other. Then, just past that, there was yet another statue, and this one had far too much of a resemblance to the swordsman for her to dismiss it as chance.

At least until she realized it was holding its sword in its right hand; the swordsman hadn't been carrying a sword when he'd arrived, but there _had_ been a sheath on his back at an angle that implied he had drawn the sword it held in his left hand, broken it somewhere, and left the hilt behind. Further inspection revealed that his proportions were a bit younger (the statue had plenty of detail that it wouldn't have been overlooked), and he lacked the scarf of a Hyrulean General, but it was still an uncanny.

Linkle wondered if the younger boy hadn't been the swordsman in his youth, and the wolf hadn't been one of his pets. "Has that guy got a stalker, or something?"

Whoever had laid out the garden had a thing for symmetry; as she approached an intersection - finding herself before a large and highly creepy temple that seemed like the second floor had melted into the first on the east side - she could see another right-handed statue at about the same distance on the opposite side. Two more of the ocarina-playing statues were poised on either side of a fountain, and Linkle stepped up to the front door, finding it wide open.

Directly opposite the entrance was a massive painting flanked by stairs... and this one was unmistakably the general from Hyrule Castle. Now convinced that this place belonged to someone who was very much not in their right mind, Linkle drew her crossbows as she stepped inside, looking around. The architecture was as creepy as the exterior, with the floors seeming warped on the landing behind the painting, and she found herself standing in a room lit by an impressive chandelier. More paintings of the green-clad swordsman covered the walls - and one of them was a profile shot, with a caption beneath it.

_Link, the Hero of Hyrule, as reborn in this era._

"...Hero reborn?"

Linkle looked up at the swordsman's image, and dread took root in her heart. She remembered the snippets of conversations she'd heard from the soldiers at the banquet that Zelda had invited her to - how they were talking about the hero Link - and now she realized that they had not been mistaken by the similarities of her name and his. Her grip on her crossbows faltered, and she fell to her knees, one hand clutching the compass around her neck.

"I'm... not the legendary hero?"

Tears poured from her eyes, and she had not the presence of mind to even pray that this temple's unsavory owner might not find her while she cried her despair. All her life, she had believed her grandmother's stories - that she was the hero of legend, raised on that farm and kept safe until Hyrule needed her. Yet now, she was forced to face the truth; all she had heard from the Hyrulean army as she tried to find her way to the castle was true, for here she stood in the domain of someone who clearly knew of the Hero's past, had devoted themselves to admiring him, and had left a proclamation for all who found they way to see it.

A sudden gust of wind - and the chandelier went dark behind her.

Linkle had not the strength to seize her crossbows again; she weakly turned, finding someone standing in a doorway, backlit by the rising moon behind the temple. After a long moment, the figure stepped forward, and her voice - a female voice - spoke. "You thought yourself the hero."

"Y-Yeah," Linkle forced out. "I did."

"You want to be the hero?" the figure asked.

"...I do," Linkle proclaimed. "I spent my whole life prepared to do my best for Hyrule as soon as I had the chance."

"The life of a hero is not without suffering," the figure warned. "Even so, you'd rather be a hero of legend than a hero of consequence?"

Were she in a clearer state of mind, perhaps Linkle would have understood what her confrontor was saying. As she was, she only nodded. "I'd give anything, to save Hyrule."

"You only have so much to give," the figure reprimanded.

"Then anything I have," Linkle insisted. "Anything I can give - I'd give it all to be the legendary hero."

"Is that so."

Something burst above Linkle, scattering embers around her; she raised her gaze to find a strange ring hovering above her, and from it emerged a powerful light that washed over her before she had the chance to understand what she was seeing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be doing a lot of glossing-over of the gameplay, and straight-out skipping anything that's not critical to this story. If you feel like you're missing something, play Legend Mode again. Just the base story should be enough.


	2. The Armies of Ruin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one thing I prefer about the WiiU version to Legends/Definitive Edition: the cutscenes in the WiiU version flow much better with gameplay. If you start a chapter with Link wearing outfit X and wielding Hylian Sword Y (and it does have to be a Hylian Sword because that's the weapon he uses in cutscenes), then he'll be wearing outfit X and wielding Hylian Sword Y in cutscenes. Legends had the excuse of using pre-rendered WiiU graphics, but the cutscenes in the Definitive Edition are visibly running them on the same engine as gameplay.
> 
> Also, they did something weird with the music for all of the cutscenes but Proxi's and I don't think they had an excuse.

"How noble. Enjoy your shared grave."

The dragon knight took a deep breath, and Impa panicked as she saw the flames gather around him. She knelt before the trainee, who was trying to get to his feet, desperate that one of them survive his onslaught - yet the longer he inhaled, the more she feared that even her own sacrifice would not be enough.

Their opponent exhaled, and flames washed forward.

The trainee lunged to meet it, and put his shield between him and the flames.

Impa watched in astonishment; his defense was wood, and wouldn't resist the inferno for long. Yet it was guard enough; even as the flames spread around it, searing at his legs from his inability to defend his entirety, they were far enough away that Impa was unharmed. She seized the opening as she had it, her hand reaching for her Giant Blade - as soon as the inferno started to subside, she leapt over the trainee, flying through the smoke to bring the edge down on the dragon knight.

Volga barely managed to sidestep the attack, yelping in surprise. Link's shield crumbled to ash in his right hand, and he fell to his knees; but his left came up, and he hurled his sword at the dragon knight. An upward swing of that lance managed to deflect the projectile, but gave Impa the opening to bring her blade into his body; it didn't cut him (the edge was designed to crush, not penetrate), but it did throw him into the doors opposite their entrance with enough force to throw them open, leaving him rolling to a stop.

He growled, and there was flame on his voice as he spoke. "You've not beaten me," he reprimanded. "You've merely hidden behind your shields - human and otherwise."

Draconic wings spread from his back, and he soared into the air in retreat. Impa sheathed her blade and turned to Link as he reached his now-empty hands to his legs; his greaves had absorbed the brunt of the inferno, but they were red-hot, and his legs shook as he tried to get to his feet.

"Get back to the castle," Impa commanded. "Get those wounds tended to."

She started out the gate that she had thrown the dragon knight through - and as Link got to his feet, the fairy, Proxi, spoke to him. "You're not gonna quit that soon, are you?" Link shook his head, recollecting his blade. "Take a dip in the water, that should last you for the short-term!"

He started back towards the castle moat; there wasn't much of a shore, but he did manage to seize the rim of the moat and lower his legs in. Steam rose from his greaves as they were rapidly cooled; then Link pulled himself back up as more Bokoblins tried to attack him, promptly drawing his sword once more and cutting through them - albeit with much less efficacy than before. After a moment, he saw Impa coming back through the gate, this time with a bag of bombs in one hand; she hurled one at the rockfall before the keep that was between them and the princess, and as it blast she saw Link standing there.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "I thought I told you-"

Link waved his right hand at her dismissively as he charged into the keep - and Princess Zelda saw him. "You-! I saw you in the training yard! What in Nayru's name happened to your-?!"

A small smile rose on Link's face, and he nodded to her in assurance before charging out the other side, swinging his way through the horde.

"Princess, you're safe!" Impa's approach drew Zelda's attention. "I fear I'd not be here if not for his aid."

"What happened to him?" Zelda demanded, turning her rapier on a Bokoblin that tried to attack Impa from behind.

"The dragon knight breathes fire," Impa insisted. "He put himself between it and me. And now he means to fight, despite his wounds!"

Zelda turned after him. "Such courage...!"

* * *

"This is where things get interesting. Unleash King Dodongo!"

Link was fighting off the horde before Hyrule Castle when the dark wizard's yell seemed to echo across the field; something massive and golden-scaled seemed to descend on the northern region where the Great Fairy's attack had descended, and Link watched incredulously as it stomped towards the central keep.

Impa was fending off the few Bokoblin stragglers that had made their way into the Central Keep when the north gate _cracked_. Her gaze turned towards it, and then she leapt aside as it was _torn open_ \- and on the other side was a massive creature covered in scales and bearing crimson crystals along its spine. It opened its maw and inhaled with such strength that her hair and the bomb bag in her grip were sent to flailing; she charged away as its mouth closed, and then opened once more to unleash a ferocious blast of flame.

The flame blast out behind her as she leapt away, finding the trainee charging towards her. "Get away!" she warned. "The wizard's summoned a giant beast!"

Link caught sight of it as it stomped out of the keep behind her, continuing towards the West Field Keep; its foreleg had crushed a gap in the wall by the time he managed to circle around it and strike its flank with his broadsword. The creature turned towards him, its bulk widening the gap as he continued to stay ahead of it; when it opened its mouth to inhale again, he grabbed Impa's free hand and dragged her out of the way, letting its blast tear across Hyrule Field as they stepped into the keep.

"You can't possibly intend to face something like this," Impa reprimanded. "It'll swallow you whole if you try to-"

She was cut off when Link seized the bomb bag in her grip, drawing out a bomb. The moment the monster had charged through the gap - tearing it as wide as the gates by now - it made to inhale again; Link hurled the bomb into its maw, and it abruptly closed for a moment... and then _jolted_ as the bomb went off in its stomach, slumping to the ground.

Its underside was not nearly so scale-clad as its hide; Link dropped the bombs and began to bombard it with sword swings. Impa promptly realized he had deduced this thing's weakness in an instant; when it started to rise again, she seized a bomb for herself, and as soon as its mouth was open she hurled the explosive in as he had. Once it had burst, she began to bombard its underside; and when it started to rise, Link took the initiative, stepping onto its hind leg and then leaping into the air before bringing his sword down between its eyes.

The creature roared, writhing... and then slumped to the ground, motionless.

Link stumbled off as Impa stepped forward. "That was ingenious," she praised. "Well done."

Proxi rose beside him as Link turned, his adrenaline fading as his legs starting to burn. "Let's just hope that's the only one we fight today," she mused.

The charm around Impa's neck began to glow, and her gaze fell as a soldier's voice emerged from it. _"General Impa, terrible news! The enemy wizard has taken Hyrule Castle!"_

Impa started. "What!?" Her gaze went to the corpse that Link had felled. "Then the beast was just a distraction... Where is Princess Zelda?"

_"There's no sign of her anywhere..."_

"Impossible..."

With a low curse, she turned to Link, who was watching her curiously. "I must ask for your help going forward," she prompted. "I trust you are willing?"

Link blinked, his expression asking a silent question.

Impa reached into a pouch hanging from her belt, drawing something out - it was a folded tunic in green.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking artistic license with Link's lv.1 Hylian Sword because the trainees ask where he's going "with that SWORD", which sounds like the shield was the same one he had in training. Paying attention during the soldiers-in-training cutscene proves that wrong, but assume that it's true.


	3. The Sorceress of the Valley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of these chapters are going to be pretty short, because there's only so much that is affected by my premise. I'm gonna write a few bits that were unaffected because they're going to be interesting to write, but there's still going to be a lot of variance in chapter length and I apologize for that.

"Ah, Link... the great hero."

Link was most disturbed to find the sorceress at the ruins' peak seemed to be waiting for him; she addressed him before she had turned away from the glowing rift before her, from which the monsters that she commanded were emerging. A bird-like mask hid most of her face, but her mouth was exposed enough for him to make out a smile once she had seen him; her hands were glowing with a strange light, and with a coo she held her left hand forward.

And from it rose a golden triangle, hovering over her grip.

"You know what this is, don't you?" Cia teased. "The blessing of Farore. I found it with no owner - for each piece of the Triforce will only find its chosen champion once they show the virtue that deserves it, and only if the triangle has not already been claimed. You had yet to show the courage necessary before I found it."

She held it out towards him. "Perhaps you'd like to show it now?"

"Link!"

A bemasked figure came up at Link's side even as Cia finished speaking - and the Triforce in her grasp began to pulse with a strange light, causing her face to fall. "Oh? What's this?" She held out her right hand, and another golden triangle rose from it - pulsing at the same rate. "They're resonating..." A different grin rose on her face - this was a menacing realization. "Ah, I see..." The triangles vanished as she closed her hands. "That's certainly welcome news!"

She turned to the rift once more... and the rift _howled_.

"Come forth, servant!"

Darkness _flooded_ forth from the rift, and Cia seemed to vanish within the smoke as it gathered elsewhere. Link and Sheik both turned to see the smoke gathering at the ruins' entrance, and they only had time to exchange a panicked glance before they charged after it.

The darkness seemed to subside... and then four fanged maws burst out of the earth, followed quickly by a flowered bulb with leaves like steel.

* * *

"Fall!"

Impa drove her Giant Blade into the crystalline core at the center of the Manhandla's body, and the creature writhed before collapsing, its leaves scattering in its defeat. As she pried her weapon free, Link, Sheik, and Lana approached her, and they all shared a nod before charging back up through the ruins where Cia had been.

They found her there again, holding the Triforce of Courage over one hand and the Triforce of Power over the other - yet as they approached, a ring of magic appeared beneath them. Lana, attuned to magic as a sorceress was, barely managed to leap away before it took effect; the others weren't so lucky, and were trapped in place.

And upon the back of Sheik's hand appeared a golden light, in the shape of three triangles - with Wisdom shining bright.

Lana panicked. "Sheik, that's-!"

The triangle rose from the back of her hand, and soared towards Cia; her hands brought Power and Courage together as Wisdom approached, and the three triangles began to spin around one another. "How kind of you to bring me the last!" she taunted. "Now, I have all three..."

A surge of force ripped out from her as the pieces took alignment with Power heavenward, and darkness welled around Cia as they made to join.

"Behold the majesty of the complete Triforce!"

"No..." Lana turned to the others. "Run!"

There was no time to demand answers; Link, Impa, and Sheik dashed away, and as Cia held the Triforce before her, a dark voice spoke in her ear.

**"Cia... The time to call the fragments of my spirit is _now_."**

"Yes," Cia heeded. "I can feel them seeking me out."

She raised her hands heavenward, threw her head back, and screamed - and the power of the Triforce began to wash over the land of Hyrule.

* * *

They were halfway out of the Valley of Seers when the magic began to rush forward; the sharpened eyes of each warrior saw the earth _changing_ where it passed, and all of them dreaded what would happen if they were in its path - yet they had no chance to outrun it.

Lana acted quickly, hurling her tome skyward; then she leapt after it, and magic glowed in her free hand as she caught it, came down, and slammed her palm to the earth. A dome of magic rose up around her, protecting the four warriors as the magic crossed over them ineffectively.

And then, two paces out of the dome, rose up as massive boulder appeared that had not been there an instant before.

Once it was far enough away that Link would rather reach its border on horseback than march, it rose up again - and this time a **mountain** appeared where it passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good night, Hyrule Warriors on the WiiU does not want you to freeze things in the middle of a cutscene. If you use the pause button, the music continues even if it's specifically-timed music to correspond with an event, and if your controller disconnects in the middle of it, the rest of the audio starts playing through as well. If you open the WiiU menu, the whole thing goes screwy and cuts off in the middle of the cutscene. Now I don't have any complaints about the music frick-ups for the cutscenes in Legends/Definitive Edition. I mean, the models for Definitive still have no excuse, but the music is justified now.


	4. The Sacred Sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Link classically has a sword and shield, and the Master Sword usually gets paired with a Hylian Shield. Hyrule Warriors has a universal block command that having a shield doesn't do anything extra for, so the Hylian Sword coming with a shield is basically just for tradition's sake. But since Link auto-equips the Master Sword during this chapter, and the Master Sword gets paired with a Hylian Shield, there's the question of where the hell that came from.
> 
> Since this chapter isn't Light-element recommended, I never equip the Hylian Sword for it... which gives me an interesting little headcanon.
> 
> Also, making all the applicable warriors part of the temple-opening because I'm not limited by what the gameplay engine can handle.

The darkness parted around Cia... and pain wrought her body before she could even glimpse her surroundings. As she tried to rise, she heard that dark voice speaking to her again - this time with far more condescension than it had before.

**"The time has come..."**

Three spheres of light ripped out of Cia, earning a scream of pain as flew ahead of her. **"I now have three fragments of my spirit."** They began to swirl together, and a far more powerful darkness surged around them. **"My power may not be whole, but my body is returned!"**

A blast of force; when it faded, a man stood there - a Gerudo man.

Cia drew her scepter, stumbling back. "You...!"

A grin rose on Ganondorf's face. "Cia, you have been my favourite puppet yet."

"What?" Cia glared, unhindered by the mask she had lost in the Palace of Twilight. "I... am _no one's puppet!_"

Ganondorf chuckled, and the tone of what followed indicated that he disagreed. "Whatever the case, our... alliance is over. I will break the final barrier myself." A green flame began to burn in his right hand as he brought it back. "This body lacks its full potential..."

Cia made to strike.

Ganondorf lunged his hand forward, and the flame slammed into Cia, and dragged her into the wall behind her; then it took form, chains binding her to the surface. "But that will change... once I wrest the Triforce from you and conquer all!"

Against her volition, Cia's right hand was opened, and one of the golden triangles manifested above it as Ganondorf started to advance on her.

"...The... Triforce..."

The chains shattered, and the Triforce of Power vanished as her scepter reappeared in her hand.

"..._shall be **mine!**_"

She lunged forward; Ganondorf didn't even let himself be amused by her resistance, striking her aside with a backhanded punch. She hit the ground rolling, but managed to get up to her knees before her momentum faded; above her left hand appeared the remaining two triangles, and before Ganondorf could react, they soared through the broken ceiling, vanishing into the distance.

The Demon King turned on Cia in terror. "What!?" Rings of magic began to circle him. "**NO!**"

"Courage and Wisdom... have been delivered to their rightful owners," Cia declared - and Power rose above her hand to strengthen her magic.

Ganondorf could only scream in defiance as the ring of magic beneath him began to shine - and that scream was silenced as he descended into the sealing light, which closed behind him.

"I _will_ reclaim the Triforce," Cia declared. "It shall be _mine alone!_ As will the Hero..."

* * *

The Hyrulean Forces, and their allies from each era, had made camp when it appeared; Lana and Impa led Darunia, Ruto, Midna, Agitha, and Fi to where Link and Zelda were waiting - and the back of Zelda's hand shone with the shape of three triangles, Wisdom shining bright.

"Your Triforce has returned," Lana observed.

"Yes," Zelda confirmed. "Mine, and Link's as well." Impa turned to the swordsman, who raised his hand - and the triangle manifested above it.

"It's not clear exactly how," Lana admitted, "but Cia's powers should be a lot weaker. If we're going to counterattack, we've got to do it now!"

Impa stepped forward. "Cia still holds the Triforce of Power," she observed. "She won't be overtaken so easily."

Zelda shook her head. "No. We can win - as long as we have the Master Sword. I believe Link possesses the spirit necessary to wield it."

Her faith caught Link by surprise.

"But, Princess..." Impa folded her arms. "The Master Sword is more than just a weapon - it's a barrier. It keeps a fragment of evil locked away. Once pulled, the spirit will be freed..."

Lana interjected at this point. "The barriers surrounding the Temple of the Sacred Sword are made with a special type of magic," she insisted. "Pulling the Master Sword alone won't undo the barrier - not entirely, anyway."

With a sigh, Impa turned her gaze on Link. "How can we be sure that Link is truly ready for this task?"

Zelda closed her hands before her. "Because I believe in him."

Lana stepped forward. "I-I believe in him too!"

There was a chorus of agreement from their temporal allies, and Link found himself blushing.

Impa smiled, setting a hand on her chin. "Well, Link, if you were looking for a chance to prove yourself, this would be it."

"Then we make haste," Zelda proclaimed, "for the Temple of the Sacred Sword."

* * *

As they approached the temple, Impa delivered something at the Princess' request. It was a shield - a brilliant blue shield, marked with the Triforce and a Hylian bird - and without hesitation she handed it to Link.

"Take this," she insisted.

Link accepted it, surprised.

"A Hylian Shield," Zelda explained. "Shieldsmiths all throughout Hyrule aspire to forge such a defense. This will halt any attacks that come your way - just as the Master Sword will cut down any who mean to stand between you and your foe."

Link turned it over - revealing it was designed to be worn on the right hand.

* * *

If there were any lingering suspicions that the seal might break as soon as the sword was drawn, they were dismissed by the time Link had his _path_ to the temple. Three statues around the temple required allies of the hero to lend their strength to them - the Statue of Servitude had needed Fi and Impa's loyalty to their cause, the Statue of Wave and Flame had asked Darunia's fire and Ruto's water, and the Statue of Twilight had been awakened by Midna's Twili magic and the Goddess Butterfly that had led Agitha through the darkness.

Doing so had taken quite a bit out of each of them; the six of them had retreated, at the Princess' insistence, as Link, Zelda, and Lana had continued into the temple. They recovered just outside the temple grounds, contemplating.

"General Impa, what's wrong?"

Agitha's question drew the Sheikah's attention. "What do you mean?"

"You've got a scary look on your face," Agitha observed. "I know you're not a gentle butterfly, but that doesn't mean you need to be so serious when you're trying to rest."

Impa sighed, turning back towards the temple. "...It's Link," she insisted. "Something seems... off."

Darunia turned to her. "You mean with the Triforce?" he asked.

"Yes," Impa insisted. "The crest of the Triforce normally manifests on the hand of the one who wields it. But Link holds the Triforce of Courage freely - as Cia had with the Triforce of Power."

"Now that you mention it," Midna mused, "it did seem kind of strange that he didn't have the mark like Zelda did."

Fi spoke. "Did the master possess the Triforce of Courage before the sorceress managed to assemble the pieces?" she inquired.

Impa turned to her with an expression of confusion before realizing she was referring to Link. "Well... no," she admitted. "Cia said she had claimed it beforehand. Something about his needing to earn it before it would come to him, and it not coming if it had an owner already."

"Then it was in the sorceress' possession before it came to the Master's," Fi observed. "I hypothesize that the return of the Triforce pieces is a conscious choice on the sorceress' part. It is possible a separate party attempted to take the complete Triforce from the sorceress, whereupon she determined that her victory over the Hyrulean Forces was more probable if the master and Her Grace held their respective pieces than if the complete Triforce was taken from her. In so doing, the sorceress may have placed a safeguard to prevent the master from wielding its power as Her Grace does."

"I see," Impa mused. "He does seem a bit less adept at magic than the Princess..."

Ruto sighed. "We'll have to see if we can't unmake it," she observed. "If Lana is Cia's other half, maybe she can break the safeguard."

There was quiet again.

Agitha hummed loudly, drawing the others' attention. "The Princess thinks he's the hero who's supposed to carry the sword, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Impa confirmed. "And Lana shares her confidence."

"But... isn't it because of the triangle?" Agitha asked. "What if Fi's wrong about what that sorceress did? Maybe she just sent the triangle to the grasshopper because she thinks he's the hero, too?"

"He _is_ the hero," Midna insisted loudly. "I-I'm absolutely sure of it."

"As am I," Ruto agreed.

"Definitely!" Darunia proclaimed.

"The master matches the profile of the established hero's incarnation," Fi proclaimed. "The probability of Her Grace's intuition being inaccurate is infinitesimal."

"Infini-what?" Agitha got to her feet. "Doesn't that mean really really tiny but not nothing?"

A threatening silence washed over the gathered warriors.

* * *

"So this is the Master Sword...!"

Proxi's comment as Link approached the pedestal went unresponded; the sacred sword lay silent in its pedestal, resting in an isolated garden within the temple, and washed over with a quiet light. A blade marked with the Triforce, and a hilt of stunning blue that was shaped like wings, with a golden jewel set in the join between the two. Link set his Magic Rod aside and stepped up to the blade; then, with a deep breath, he reached forward, closed his hands upon its grip, and pulled.

There was no response from the sword.

His grasp tightened, and he pulled again; and when still the sword refused to move, he shifted his feet closer in an effort to give him greater leverage.

"Tried hiding from me? Little brat...!"

The Door of Time slammed shut behind him, and Link turned to find Wizzro floating there, darkness gathering before him. The sword still refused to move; Link drew the Hylian Shield off his back, and as the attack surged forward, he thrust the shield towards it, meeting the blast against that impregnable defense. Once the blast had dispersed, he dove for his Magic Rod, landing with a roll and then turning the weapon forward.

"What!?"

* * *

"What happened?"

Zelda's question as she arrived at the Temple of the Sacred Sword earned Lana's attention; she smacked a Lizalfos that tried to dive-bomb her with her book of sorcery and turned to the Princess. "I don't know!" she insisted. "The Door of Time closed behind him - he's trapped in the grove with the sword!"

"This magic..." Zelda shook her head. "It must be the dark wizard - he tried to attack Link while he drew the sword!"

"Of course it's Wizzro," Lana groaned. "That ring is nothing but dirty tricks!"

They charged deeper into the temple, finding the door sealed - and the monsters of the temple were more numerous on their path. "How do we get this thing open?" Zelda demanded.

"There were gatekeepers when Link came this way," Lana insisted. "When he struck them down, the door opened. Now that it's closed...!"

"Princess!"

The yell from nearby caught Zelda by surprise; Impa, Darunia, Ruto, Midna, Agitha, and Fi were all fighting a swath through the Dark Forces. "What's happened?" Impa demanded.

"The wizard sealed Link into the grove," Zelda reprised. "We can't open it!"

Ruto turned to the temple. "Well," she observed, "I doubt it's watertight."

She swung her arm forward, the scale upon her bangle gleaming - and water began to flow before her, washing against the Door of Time. It continued to press against the door for a moment while she danced; then bubbles began to surge out, showing where the gap in the door stood. Fi turned in the air, her body turning into the Goddess Blade, and she dragged the flat of the sword along the surface until she met the crack; then Midna's Fused Shadows appeared gathered around her, converging to obscure her impish body. Darunia slammed his hammer into the pommel of Fi's blade, pushing it into the crack just enough to have a solid place as Twilit tendrils surged out of the lower half of the Fused Shadows; the hands slammed against the doors, trying to force them apart... and slowly, the gap was forced wider.

Resistance... resistance... and then the Door of Time was flung open. Ruto's wave surged into the grove, washing over Wizzro before he could make to resist; Fi retook her own form, striking him across the gap in his hood when he made to turn towards his attackers, and Midna's tendrils coverged on him, dragging him out of the grove and throwing him clear across the temple hall.

The wizard seemed to realize he was outmatched here, and he sunk into a pit of darkness, leaving only his voice. "If you want Cia, you'll find her at the Temple of Souls," he proclaimed. "But she's not going to be happy...!"

The darkness faded, and Zelda charged into the grove. "Link!" she called. "Are you al-"

She cut herself off as she saw Link standing there - the Magic Rod he had carried into the battle was held in one hand... and the Master Sword still lay upon its pedestal.

Dread washed over the gathered Hyrulean Forces. Impa breathed a heavy sigh, having feared this after Agitha's deduction; Lana's brought her tome up to her chest, not understanding what this could mean; and Zelda's rapier fell to the earth as she stepped up to Link, who only hung his head ashamedly as she came to a halt at arm's length.

"...Give me the shield."

Link's gaze rose, and he opened his mouth to protest.

"_Give me the Din-damned shield!_"

There was a broken fury in Zelda's voice, tears streaming down her eyes; Link drew the Hylian Shield off his back, and Zelda seized it from him, turning away.

"Alert the troops," she commanded Impa. "We march on the Temple of Souls - **now**."

She stormed away, and the gathered warriors offered Link their own saddened gazes before making to follow - leaving Link with only the sword that would not accept him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this is about where things start taking significant differences from what happened in Legend Mode.
> 
> The Master Sword is considered a separate weapon type from the Hylian Sword so you don't just frick over Gold Skulltulas or Adventure Mode squares where you're supposed to use a Hylian Sword. Turns out, if you equip the Master Sword for a level on the WiiU version where he's carrying a Hylian Sword (or vice versa), it doesn't affect the cutscenes. I'm impressed by how thorough the dev team was.


	5. A War of Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't remember if it was made clear whether "Her True Self" happened before or after Link drew the Master Sword (and apparently I made to start the Definitive Edition over again and forgot about it). Given "Powers Collide" happened AFTER the Hyrulean Forces did their split-up and "The Demon Lord's Plan" happened BEFORE the Hyrulean Forces did their split-up, the placement of the stages in Linkle's Tale are really more out of convenience than chronology. I'm assuming it happened beforehand to make this story work.

_"...n..."_

A voice in his ears - a voice he knew - halted Link in place as he made his solitary way out of the Temple of the Sacred Sword.

_"...ink..."_

He drew the Magic Rod he had brandished in the temple; he hoped the Hyrulean Forces had had the decency to leave behind his own sword and shield, but he had yet to reach the point where they'd made camp, and so was left with the weapon he'd fought off Wizzro with.

_"Link."_

A mist of darkness gathered before him; when it faded, there Cia stood. Her mask had been cast aside, and her face confirmed Lana's confession before they had entered the temple; the skin was darker, and the hair brighter, but the features were unmistakably identical. She carried no weapon, but Link - having seen her call forth creatures bare-handed - dared not lower his guard.

"Hero," she greeted.

That title stung in a way he hadn't expected it to; Link scoffed angrily, and aimed his Magic Rod forward.

Cia shook her head; her expression was not one of dominance, but empathy. "_Hero_," she insisted.

Link shook his head, growling.

"No?" Cia echoed his unspoken word. "Why? Because of that _sword_?" She stepped forward. "Do you think carrying the sword is what makes a hero? Do you think one sword capable of seeing all who bear the spirit?" She shook her head. "There have been plenty of heroes in the past who have never carried that sword. A vile mage of winds has been felled time and again without ever feeling its edge. A sword is a tool for the weak to swing around. Princess Zelda is a fool for putting her faith in that blade."

She held out her hand. "I put my faith... in the hero himself."

Link's gaze fell to her hand, and then rose to Cia again; he started to lower his Magic Rod.

"Princess Zelda has cast you aside on false grounds. I hold my faith in _you_ \- as the Hero of Hyrule." She took one more step forward, offering her hand. "Come with me."

Her words gave Link new confidence; he reached his hand forward, and set it into hers.

* * *

"Stop!"

Agitha's yell brought the company to a halt; Midna was the first to face the insect princess, finding her holding a jar before her. "What are you doing?" the Twili asked.

"Rumbling Crickets stop chirping when they notice someone new," she explained. "This one got used to all of us while we were going to that temple, but now it's stopped again."

Zelda turned back to face they way they'd been traveling, drawing her rapier; Impa seized the handle of her Giant Blade as she turned her attention to one flank, and Fi floated forward to make it clear she was defending the other. Darunia's hammer manifested in his grip in a blaze of fire, and Ruto raised her scaled bangle as they fell back to back; a Twilight wolf emerged from a portal that opened on the floor as Midna dropped onto its back, and Agitha set her Rumbling Cricket's jar back into her basket and seized the handle of her parasol.

She was the first to notice the stranger walking past a few trees; a map was held to obscure its holder's face, but not their green tunic.

"Another grasshopper?"

The stranger lowered her map, turning towards the accusation. "Excuse me?" she protested. "I'm not a grasshop- Huh?"

Zelda lowered her rapier in surprise. "You?"

"Princess Zelda!" The girl - dressed in a hooded green tunic, with a pair of crossbows hooked on her boots - stepped forward, and realized there were more familiar figures gathered there. "Fi! Ruto, Darunia! _Midna!_" As she said each name, its owner relaxed, and she looked over the gathering. "You all know each other?"

Impa and Agitha exchanged glances before turning back to her. "And you are...?" Impa inquired.

"My name's Linkle!" the girl greeted. "I ran into Fi in that big pit with the cute black things, Ruto and Darunia were at the lake when I came by, and I met Midna and the Princess in that weird dark palace not that long ago."

"What are you doing here?" Zelda asked. "I thought you said you were trying to get to Hyrule Castle and..." She blinked, realizing the places she'd mentioned. "Wait... the Sealed Grounds and Lake Hylia appeared on opposite sides of-"

Linkle became very awkward. "I, uh.... think I'm a little lost," she admitted. Then, quickly changing the subject; "What's up with this convoy? Where are you guys going?"

Impa stepped forward. "The sorceress Cia is responsible for what's happening to Hyrule," she explained. "We've discovered where she is to be found, and mean to put a stop to what she is doing." She glanced around at the company. "And... as it happens, we lost a man in the discovery." She turned back to Linkle. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to lend the Hyrulean Forces your aid once more?"

"Of course," Linkle assured her. "As the legendary hero-"

Those words provoked Princess Zelda; a light shone from her hands before she heard what she had to say about him, and Linkle yelped, stumbling away as a Bow of Light appeared in her grasp, levelled on the hooded girl with a Light Arrow nocked. "Don't. Say. Those. Words."

The hand of Midna's hair covered the tip of the Light Arrow; the Princess slowly lowered her bow, and once it faded, Linkle took a deep breath. "I-It's my duty to help the people of Hyrule," she insisted. "I'm happy to help."

Zelda took a deep breath. "Very well. Thank you, Linkle."

* * *

The Temple of Souls was surrounded by a dead wood, and its entrance was bordered with a large hedge garden - one scattered with very detailed statues of the heroes across the ages. Ruto and Darunia reacted unpleasantly to the sight of an ocarina-playing young boy; Midna saw a wolf with an eye pattern in its facial fur and punched its head clean off; Fi's expression was hard to read, but as they passed a right-handed swordsman with his sword raised skyward, she moved abruptly ahead of the group and then waited for the others to catch up.

There was a fountain in the courtyard - and resting on its rim was a blue scarf marked with the Triforce.

Linkle picked it up. "What's this?"

"It's the mark of a general in the Hyrulean Army," Impa explained.

_"It's a reminder of a princess who is undeserving,"_ retorted a dark voice that seemed to boom throughout the garden. Linkle tossed the scarf into the fountain, drawing her crossbows as the door was opened. _"If she will turn her back on the hero for such a petty reason, then the hero in turn has no obligation to serve her, and protect her."_

A figure stepped out through the open doors.

_"He would much rather fight for one who is faithful to him."_

Link stood there at the temple entrance - garbed in a black tunic that seemed to _mist_ with darkness. It wasn't simply that Cia had altered the colour of the tunic that Impa had given him, either - this was almost plate mail, with a Hylian bird upon his torso and a crownlike pattern on the rim of his cap. A dark shield was gripped in his right hand, with four dark pearls upon its surface between four black diamonds that surrounded a fifth. He held his left hand out at his side, causing the Triforce of Courage to emerge from his grip and shine down at them; then it faded again, and he reached for his back and drew a jagged-edged sword, with a blade of deep blue steel that bore more dark pearls down its length in lieu of a fuller.

Linkle aimed her crossbows at him. "This your lost man?" she asked Impa.

"Yes," Impa confirmed, "it is."

With a yell, Link raised his sword above his head - and from the temple behind him emerged a swarm of Bulblins and ReDead Knights. Footsteps behind the gathered warriors had half of them turning as more began to emerge, and Midna cursed as she realized the garden had multiple entrances to the temple. "We're surrounded!"

Gritting her teeth, Linkle turned her attention back to the swordsman. "Leave him to me!"

She fired a pair of bolts at Link, and he raised his shield to stop them as she dashed up to the rim of the fountain and leapt clear over it; then he brought his sword back, and Linkle twisted in the air as he swung it towards her. It clipped the back hem of her tunic, but didn't harm Linkle herself; the side effect was that the evasive twist left her in ill position to hit the ground feet-first, and she collided with his legs and knocked him back into the temple, whose entrance hall was down a short flight of stairs.

Cia was standing at the top of the entrance hall, watching as this hooded girl fought her hero. A ranger at such close range couldn't possibly pose a threat, could she?

Link and Linkle were on their feet at the same instant; the Bulblins made to charge her, and she started firing. A crossbow in each hand kept her from being surrounded, and she fired quarrel after quarrel into the horde - but always kept one crossbow trained on Link as he tried to advance on her, and whenever he drew near enough to strike her, she would leap away, firing at him again. In time, the horde drew thin - most of Cia's monsters out in the courtyard, fighting the princess and her defenders - and she turned the full of her attention on Link, bombarding him with bolts that kept his shield raised - but he _did_ keep his shield raised, and whenever she tried to strike at his undefended regions, he moved his shield to meet the next bolts.

Her volley subsided, just a moment, and Link made to strike back - but then two more bolts flew forward, these ones with bombs mounted upon their heads. The added weight slowed their flight enough that he was able to sidestep them when he couldn't move his shield to stop them, leaving them to blast as they hit the earth outside, but Linkle fired an unweighted bolt into the shoulder of his shield arm, causing him to recoil. He tried to swing his sword at her, but Linkle swept under the swing and kicked his sword arm hard enough to knock the blade out of his hand, and then fired two bolts at the sword before it hit the ground to send it skidding aside.

Link glared at her, and she could have sworn his eyes glowed red. A yell from the entrance drew their attention; Zelda had managed to fight their way to the doorway, ready to back Linkle up, and with a growl Link raised his left hand, the Triforce of Courage rising from it. Zelda stepped back as he turned towards her, making to aim its power directly at the princess.

Linkle was having none of that; she dashed between him and the princess, and struck at his sword arm with the body of the crossbow in her right hand, and Link reeled back in terror as the Triforce vanished from above his grip.

Then she aimed that crossbow straight at him.

And upon the back of her hand appeared a golden light, in the shape of three triangles - with Courage shining bright.

When she pulled the trigger, the bolt flew with speed and force that her crossbows should not have been able to give it; it slammed into Link's shield and _shattered_ it, leaving him reeling back in terror.

Linkle's gaze went to her hand in shock. "What-!?"

Zelda raised a hand to her mouth. "You...?"

Cia slammed her foot down. "No!"

Link roared, charging at her again; Linkle narrowed her gaze and fired at him again, then turned her other crossbow forward and fired once more. The bolts slammed into his chest, but he kept running; she fired another bolt at each hand, then slammed a kick into his torso when he came close enough to strike her - and as he stumbled back, she brought her crossbows both forward and pulled the triggers to fire straight into his head.

They pierced his brow, and he stumbled back; his mouth opened, and then he fell to the ground, lifeless.

Linkle brought her crossbows down to cock them against her boots, and aimed them at the sorceress watching above; this time, when the bolts flew, the sorceress struck them aside. "No... It's not possible! It _can't be!_"

She brought the crossbows back, mounting bombs upon the heads of her bolts, and then fired them again; the head of Cia's scepter swung forward, causing them to blast in the air between the two. When the smoke cleared, the sorceress was gone - only a mist of darkness to show her escape.

"Princess!"

Impa's yell drew Zelda's attention; she and the others were coming up to the temple doors. "The enemy is fleeing," she informed her. "What happ-"

Linkle turned - and the mark of the Triforce shining on her hand silenced Impa with the unspoken answer.

Minda reeled back. "What!?"

Ruto raised a hand before her in surprise. "No way!"

Fi's unchanging expression did not prevent her tone from making her shock clear. "You?"

Lana's gaze fell, and then rose to her again. "How did...?"

Zelda turned to Linkle, and then back to her army. "Cia has fled," she announced. "We have an opportunity here. Let us return to the Temple of the Sacred Sword."

With wary hearts, the Hyrulean Army began to depart the Temple of Souls - and from the shadows, an unseen third party chuckled.

"What an interesting development..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vaati does not get NEARLY enough showings. It probably says something about this series that the second most recurring villain only has three appearances.
> 
> Agitha's entire contribution to the Hyrulean Forces amounts to "she has a lot of insects that do a lot of weird things that happen to help". Thought it would be fun to play with that.


	6. Shining Beacon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know... I kinda wonder whether there will be any crossbows in the Breath of the Wild sequel. It would make for an interesting variety.

"That's a sword."

The Dark Forces had not predicted that the Hyrulean Army would return to the sleeping blade of evil's bane after Link's failed attempt to draw it; their advance was unresisted, and the ghost soldiers made no effort to attack them as they entered the temple. The Door of Time opened wide as they approached, and Linkle was most worried by what she saw behind it.

Lana turned to her with an eyebrow raised. "Did the name 'Temple of the Sacred Sword' imply that there was gonna be a lance back here?" she asked.

"That's not what I mean," Linkle insisted, her face lighting up. "I... I can't use a sword. I use crossbows. And kick things that get too close."

Zelda shook her head. "The Master Sword shines with the power to repel evil," she explained. "We have need of that power. If you cannot use it as a weapon, then use it as a tool - to brandish its sacred light."

Linkle stepped towards it... and then turned back to them. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"No," Zelda admitted. "I'll admit I'm not expecting you to be able to draw it. But... I _was_ expecting Link to draw it, and he failed."

With a heavy breath, Linkle turned to face the sword again, stepping forward. Warily, she reached forward, her hands closing on the grip; she closed her eyes, steadied her stand, and pulled.

Just an instant of resistance... and then the sword rose from its pedestal.

* * *

The Temple of Souls had been left empty, which left Lana to lead them to the Valley of Seers. Bulblins, Bokoblins, and Stalfos gave them plenty of trouble en route, yet when they arrived at the valley itself, there was no such opposition. An ominous quiet permeated the air; it was as though there was no life in the valley save for the Hyrulean Forces.

They found a most threatening warning as they advanced - a crystal ball upon a pedestal, with a spear impaled on the ground beside it and a ring hanging from a chain that circled it.

Linkle started. "I know that spear," she muttered. "That fire-breathing knight was carrying that thing when I got to the lake."

"That's Volga's spear," Zelda realized. "And that ring... that's Wizzro's." She shook her head. "What happened here?"

Concerned, Lana stepped forward, picking up the crystal ball; then she turned around, and it started to float between her hands as an image appeared in it.

It was Cia.

_"I want to speak to the girl with the crossbows,"_ the image proclaimed. _"Alone."_ Then, as the army started to react; _"Let her bring her weapons. Lana can show her the way if you think she needs it."_

The image faded out, and Impa stormed forward. "You're mad if you think-"

"Don't," Lana insisted. "It's not communication - it's a message. She prepared that in advance."

Impa shook her head. "We can't do as she says," she insisted. "If we let Linkle go there on her own, the sorceress will try to exploit her vulnerability."

Zelda sighed, turning to Linkle. "It's her choice," she told Impa. "Linkle, what do you want to do?"

Linkle glanced at the Master Sword on her back, and then down at her crossbows; then she turned to Lana. "I am gonna want someone to show me the way."

Lana nodded. "Alright."

* * *

They found the ruins unlocked; Cia was waiting in the chamber at the peak of the ruins. As they approached, Linkle came to a stop, turning to Lana. "Wait."

Lana started. "What?"

"Wait here," Linkle insisted.

"But-!"

"I'm not gonna go further than the top of the stairs," Linkle insisted. "If something goes wrong, come after me."

Lana hesitated for a moment longer; then she took a deep breath. "Alright."

With a nod, she started up the stairs; Cia was standing there, waiting for her approach, and on seeing the Master Sword upon her back a bitter smile rose upon her face.

"It was... Linkle, right?"

The hooded girl halted one pace away from the top step, nodding. "Yeah," she confirmed. "And you're Cia."

Cia closed her eyes. "...Tell me," she prompted. "What do you think of the princess?"

Linkle didn't understand why she was asking, but answered all the same. "She's a kind ruler," she admitted. "And she's pretty good with a rapier. A bit quick to take offense, I think, but I might've caught her at a bad time."

"...And Lana?" Cia asked, nodding her head towards the stairs. "What do you think of her?"

"She's smart," Linkle admitted. "Got a fun personality. Her magic is pretty cool. I've never seen anyone do what she can do with a spear. It's been great fighting alongside her."

Lana's gaze rose in surprise, on hearing such praise for herself over what she'd heard for the princess.

Cia smiled, opening her eyes. "And... what do you think of me?"

"_You!?_" There was a fury in Linkle's voice at that question - for the Princess and her warriors had told Linkle about their struggles against the sorceress on their way here - and that fury caused Cia to step back, her face falling. "You waged war on Hyrule. You ripped entire places out of different times. You tried to kill Princess Zelda more than once. You gave that swordsman enough to fool him and Zelda into thinking he was something he wasn't, and then when she got mad at him, you turned him into your dark knight!" She lashed her hand down. "You're a witch of the worst kind! **That's** what I think of you!"

A sad smile rose on her face, and her head fell. Laughter began to echo over the ruins - sad, broken laughter; it started quiet, but slowly grew louder, and more sorrowful, and Cia threw her head back as it reached a volume of despair, tears flowing down her face as she laughed her sorrow so loud all the valley seemed to mourn.

As the notes died out, her gaze fell to Linkle.

Her hand began to rise, and darkness surged up after it.

Linkle reached for her crossbows, drawing them in an instant and firing.

The bolts slammed into Cia's heart, and she stumbled back, the scepter that she had manifested falling to the ground.

Lana dashed up, and as terrified by what she saw; Cia reached for the bolts impaled between her breasts, and they seemed to burn away. Blood began to flow from the wounds as she raised her gaze, and a weak smile rose on her face.

"...Good luck..."

Dark mist shrouded her body as she fell back, and Lana screamed, charging forward. Cia never hit the ground; her body was insubstantial before it made contact, the mist dispersing, and Lana was left kneeling where she had been, horrified by what had happened.

A golden glow rose on the surface before her - the Triforce of Power.

With a heavy breath, Lana circled it with her hand, wrapping it in a bubble of magic before closing her hand upon it; then she got to her feet, turning to Linkle, who lowered her crossbows.

"What do we do?" Linkle asked.

"...We go back to Princess Zelda," Lana replied. "With all three pieces of the Triforce, we can unmake what Cia did to Hyrule."

Linkle sighed, hooking her crossbows on her boots once more. "Alright."

* * *

Zelda was surprised when Linkle and Lana came back, both looking sorrowful. "What did Cia want to say to you?" the princess asked.

Linkle had no idea where to begin. "She..." Did she simply tell her what had happened? "I..."

"She didn't want to say anything," Lana insisted, catching Linkle by surprise. "She just wanted Linkle to come to her with her guard down, and thought I'd take her side instead of yours. Linkle shot her down where she stood."

She turned to the other warriors; Ruto, Darunia, Midna, Agitha, and Fi exchanged glances. "We can put Hyrule back to the way it should be," she told them. "We should send you all home."

She held out her tome, and three portals of light appeared around them. Ruto glanced at Linkle before huffing, turning away, but Darunia pounded his chest approvingly. "Not bad at all, Brother!" he praised.

"You mean _Sister!_" Linkle corrected.

Darunia laughed, and he and Ruto started into their portal, and it closed behind them; Midna hovered forward with a sigh. "You don't play the role too bad, I guess," she admitted. "See you next crisis."

"Let's hope there's **not** a next crisis!" Linkle protested.

She floated in through the next portal, and Agitha curtsied to Linkle before following suit; Fi seemed about to say something, but only turned away and soared into the remaining portal without a word.

"Not one for conversation, that one," Linkle observed, turning to Zelda and Lana again. "So, how do we do this?"

"Hold out your hand," Lana instructed.

Zelda held forth her right hand, with the mark of Wisdom upon it; Linkle offered her own right hand, with the mark of Courage; and Lana held out her left hand, from which the Triforce of Power rose. The other two pieces rose from their bearers, and joined above them; and then the magic began to course throughout Hyrule. The Palace of Twilight vanished into the darkness; Skyloft seemed to ascend into the sky; Lake Hylia appeared to be filled with earth as Death Mountain receded into the ground.

As the changes to Hyrule faded, the Triforce parted again; Wisdom and Courage came back to Zelda and Linkle, and Lana circled Power once more before letting it fade out. "What will you do?" Zelda asked.

"I... have a lot to think about," Lana admitted. "And the timeline needs an observer. I'm going to stay here, and keep watch."

She offered Linkle one last glance before turning away, starting back into the valley; Zelda watched her go before turning to the hooded girl. "And you, Linkle?"

Linkle took a deep breath before turning to the princess. "I want to come with you to Hyrule Castle," she replied.

"Whatever for?" Zelda asked.

"The sword," Linkle replied, reaching for the Master Sword upon her back. "I don't want this to just be a tool. I need to be able to wield it as a weapon - just like my crossbows."

Zelda nodded. "The soldiers of Hyrule Castle are trained in swordplay," she confirmed. "We'll be honoured to train you..."

She offered her hand.

"...hero."


	7. Battle of the Triforce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is gonna be terribly short. Like, shorter than Chapter 3, even. Sorry.

"So that's Ganondorf?"

The Demon King's approach could be seen from Hyrule Castle; Linkle's inquiry only earned a nod from Impa. "Yes. A man of pure evil. He had been divided into four parts and sealed across the ages. Three were freed when Cia first rent the timeline. The fourth..." Her gaze turned to the sword on Linkle's back. "...had been imprisoned in this era, by the Master Sword."

Linkle turned to her. "What?" Then, rounding her gaze on Zelda; "Then why did we-!?"

"Because we had need of it!" Zelda insisted. "Or we thought we had need of it. In any case, Lana told us that the seal wouldn't break the moment the sword was drawn. There must have been something we forgot to account for."

"Forget what we have done, or could have done," Impa declared. "Let's focus on what we _shall_ do."

"Do we wait for him to come to us?" Linkle asked.

Zelda shook her head. "No. We go to stop him."

She dashed back into the castle; Linkle grinned, following suit, and Impa only sighed before making to do the same.

* * *

A crossbow bolt collided with Ganondorf's sword.

He turned towards its source; the hooded girl was standing before a half-broken wall, crossbows in hand. The Master Sword was sheathed on her back, and with a grin, Ganondorf began to advance towards her, she continued to fire at him, quarrel after quarrel flying across the battlefield towards him, but he deflected each bolt on his great blades, beating them aside as he advanced towards her with intention to take the Triforce of Courage from her by force.

He drew near enough to sweep his blade towards her.

She leapt straight up, letting it pass beneath her as she hooked her crossbows upon her boots.

And as she landed she drew the Master Sword from her back, and brought it down two-handed.

It didn't cut very deep - he had moved away before it could hit him full-on - but its sacred edge still burned him as it struck. She brought the weapon back at her side and lashed it forward, and a shining light ripped forth from its edge, crossing the distance and colliding with Ganondorf hard enough to send him flying.

He righted himself with a grin. "So you _can_ wield a sword," he observed.

"I can now!" Linkle proclaimed, levelling the blade of evil's bane on him. "You'll have to try harder than that to take down the legendary hero!"

"Hero!?" Ganondorf laughed. "I've outlived more 'heroes' than you can _imagine!_"

She made to strike him again - and Ganondorf moved his greatswords to meet it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I can't write the end of this one because I can't really justify why Ganondorf let them run. Cia had the excuse of hiding behind a magic trap to steal the Triforce pieces and then immediately using them to rip time a new one, but Ganondorf strikes Link and Zelda down in open combat, takes Wisdom and Courage, and then leaves them alive.


	8. Liberation of the Triforce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, if I were designing Hyrule Warriors, I wouldn't have made Ganon's weakpoint be the bow. Add a separate item weapon to use against that one that only works when fighting him or after getting a powerup. An infinite bow booster seems lazy. When you're fighting him in Adventure Mode, you don't get the infinite bow booster, you hit him with a normal arrow and he reacts just the same. It's weak. The Bow of Light was a separate weapon in Link Between Worlds, they could have done the same thing here.
> 
> So, with Linkle in the hero slot this time, I get to do something else that is both canon-adhering and still not that lazy.
> 
> Also, with the frequency you run into the first Giant Boss, I feel like it should be parsed as "Fire-Breathing King: Dodongo" rather than "Fire-Breathing: King Dodongo". Still have it addressed as "King Dodongo" in dialogue, when they know of him, but it's so common that it should just be considered "Dodongo".

**"I... AM... _GANON!_"**

The roar from the transformed Ganondorf was heard clear across the smoldering ruins of Hyrule Field, and Linkle stumbled back, the Master Sword held between her hands. Zelda's voice echoed out of the charm she wore around her neck. _"Be brave!"_ she warned. _"If we can defeat Ganon, peace will return to Hyrule!"_

Ganon braced his left arm before him, and Linkle leapt aside as a blast of voltage shot out of it; it burst with its epicenter where she had been standing a moment before, and as she righted herself she realized there was an _eye_ in his gauntlet, which closed lids of gold before she could do much more than see it. He turned to face her again as she sheathed her sword, drawing her crossbows; then he slammed his hands to the ground, and the massive spikes upon his pauldrons opened up like _mouths_, firing a bombardment of seeds that she narrowly managed to avoid.

She tried to fire a few volleys into him, but he showed no reaction as he turned to face her; his right hand was raised, and flames began to gather in his palm before lunging forward; Linkle's hood was singed clean off as she narrowly managed to avoid taking it full-on, and as soon as it passed her she started to fire at him again. Then he began to rise into the air, and his tail lashed down beneath him before he opened his maw and began to breathe a stream of fire that left Linkle's only evasion to dive beneath him.

_"Watch his movements!"_ Lana proclaimed; she was clear on Ganon's other side, but the sheer volume of the beast's movements made her hard to hear if it weren't for the charm. _"I'm sure we've seen those patterns before!"_

"Have you?" Linkle asked.

Ganon didn't descend, making to unleash another breath of flame; a Hookshot appeared in Lana's grip, and fired it at his tail as it flailed beneath him. Ganon roared as her magic pumped through her body, pulling him to one side, and then to the other before wrenching him down. The tip of his tail came clean off as he slammed to the ground, and she dismissed the Hookshot as Linkle began to fire at him again.

_"Lure him around this way!"_ Lana asked. _"I need a bead on his fore!"_

Linkle resumed firing, this time dashing around the beast as she did. Ganon raised his right hand again, and as it came around with flames gathering Lana hurled a bomb at the convergence. It was sucked into the gathering fires, and the blast tore off Ganon's gauntlet on that side; he slammed his hands to the ground, yet when the spikes opened Lana hurled a boomerang to swing clean around and shatter them both.

"Argorok," Lana realized. "Dodongo. Manhandla..." Ganon braced his left arm before him, and Linkle saw the eye open as the voltage began to gather. "Ghoma!"

They leapt clear of the blast; Lana was upright as it burst, and a bow appeared in her hands as she took aim and fired into the eye - and the eye seemed to _spatter_, the gauntlet cracking under the blow. With a roar, Ganon braced himself against the ground; then he made to charge Lana, who barely managed to avoid being impaled on his tusks.

The jewel in his forehead was shining as he skidded aside; Linkle fired at it, only for Ganon to barely react to it. "My bolts aren't don't anything!" she groaned. "But I can't get close enough to use a sword when he's that big!"

_"Linkle!"_ Zelda's voice came through the charm. _"Raise your crossbows!"_

She had no idea what the princess was doing, but didn't dare to object; she raised her weapons heavenward as Ganon locked onto her.

A holy light descended towards her as the dark beast made to charge her, filling the bodies of her crossbows with radiance.

And she brought them down and fired - and a shot of holy light slammed into the jewel. Ganon roared as the Light Arrow shattered the gem, falling to the ground and skidding forward; Linkle sidestepped, lowered her still-shining crossbows, and drew the Master Sword, bringing it into blow upon blow until Ganon began to rise. She leapt away, sheathing the sword, and found the fragments of gem merging once again; when he made to charge her again, she fired another Light Arrow, and the blast slammed into his jewel and left him reeling open for another sequence of blows.

"Linkle!"

The voice came through her charm and from nearby; Linkle turned and found Zelda standing at the gates. As Ganon rose, Lana dashed to the princess' side; the dark beast turned on them and made to charge, but Zelda's own Bow of Light appeared in her grip, and she loosed a Light Arrow into his jewel.

Ganon reared in pain; Linkle came up behind him, leapt atop his hind legs and then his back before soaring into the air above him, and as he turned his gaze upon her she fired two more Light Arrows into the gap where the jewel had been.

The dark beast slumped to the ground as she landed beside Zelda and Lana, crossbows hooked; the Triforce rose from him, and then parted as it soared towards them. Lana circled Power with her magic once more; Zelda and Linkle caught Wisdom and Courage upon their hands, and the three of them joined their hands together. The Triforce unified above them as Ganon tried to rise.

And then it _blast him_, with such light that it seemed the Goddesses themselves desired his demise, and Ganon roared as his body vanished in the holy force.

When the light had faded enough to see, Ganon was gone - and the sun was rising on Hyrule Field. Their allies from across the ages were standing well away, and they all waved their farewells as they vanished to their own eras once more.

Linkle sighed. "It's over..."

Lana shook her head. "No. There's still one thing left to do. Return the Master Sword to its place." She turned to Zelda and Linkle. "Take it to the Temple of the Sacred Sword. Once it rests within the pedestal again, the last remnants of Ganondorf will be sealed away."

Zelda nodded. "We will."

* * *

Lana accompanied them to the temple outskirts, but no further; she departed for the Temple of Souls, leaving the princess and hero to return the blade of evil's bane. Then, once the Door of Time had closed behind them, they made their way back to Hyrule Castle.

What awaited there was not so pleasant.

A great Dodongo was rampaging in Hyrule Field. Linkle broke into a dash ahead of Zelda as they caught sight of it; it turned towards her, and as she got near enough it opened its maw. Remembering Lana's proclamation, she readied a bomb arrow and fired it into the creature's mouth; it burst within the gathering flames, and it slumped to the ground, revealing its less-than-scaled underside. Bolts were fired into its underside, and when it started to rise again, Zelda was near enough; she was the one to hurl a bomb into its maw the moment it was open, and when it blast she razed her rapier across its underside.

Princess and Hero both leapt away when it started to move; three Arrows of Light surged forward, impaled the monster between the eyes, and left it roaring helplessly.

It slumped to the ground with its maw wide open, and Linkle screamed when she saw something that lay beneath its tongue.

A Giant Blade - _Impa's weapon_.

"No..." She turned towards the field - and now, without a great threat to seize her attention, she could see the corpses of the Hyrulean soldiers. "No, what happened!?"

Zelda gasped as she saw more than just Hylian bodies - there were Bulblins, Bokoblins, Stalfos, Lizalfos, Gibdos. "The monsters... The monsters of Ganondorf's army..." She stumbled back. "They attacked... while we were returning the sword."

"But... no..." Linkle shook her head. "The soldiers... the knights...!"

"Wounded from the fight with Ganondorf," Zelda realized. "They didn't have the strength to fight everything off..."

Linkle turned. "There... there should have been someone..."

Zelda winced, and tears began to flow. "There was Impa."

"No..." Linkle looked back towards the castle; her crossbows fell from her hands, and she fell to her knees. "I... I should have stopped them..."

"Ganon was slain," Zelda proclaimed. "We had no way of knowing his monsters would attack without him."

"No, I should have stopped them!" Darkness began to encroach upon Hyrule field as Linkle cried out. "I should have stood in their way! I should have been there! _I should have been there!_"


	9. Revelation of the Role

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must have miscounted, this didn't quite take as many chapters as I thought it would.

"**I should have been there!**"

Linkle opened her eyes, panting. She was kneeling in the Temple of Souls, in the room covered in paintings of the hero, Link; her crossbows were lying at her sides, not filled with the blessings of Light Arrows but the same mundane weapons she'd brought from her hometown, and the sheath of the Master Sword was absent from her back. The rings above her descended - a blue structure that coursed with magic, two interlocking rings from between which the light faded - and the figure in the shadows before her only swept her hand, causing it to vanish in a scattering of embers.

"What..." Linkle shook her head. "What did I just see?"

"A future that would have been, if you were the hero you believed to be." Her voice carried a familiarity to it that it hadn't an instant ago. "The consequences that would have been wrought, if your destiny was any different."

Linkle blinked. "You mean... That's... what would've happened? If I was the hero reborn?"

"The spirit of the hero is one in an era," the figure proclaimed. "Many hope to be the hero - and many pray to meet them. But the goddesses have placed the hero where he can deliver the greatest aid to the era - where there are not other heroes to defend those who need defending."

She remembered all that she had seen - Link turned to darkness by Zelda's mistake, Cia's suicide on realizing what the hero thought of her, Ganondorf's deliverance on the field of Hyrule, the monsters running wild without any unexpected reinforcements. "Then, if I had been the hero... all of that?"

"A knight with the faith of the princess, and a bond with her - their ties broken in the face of desperation. A sorceress corrupted by evil, and freed of it in her final moments - left to die in despair, her redemption lost for her mistake. The armies of Hyrule, battered after the Demon King's fall - overrun by an opponent they could not see coming, for there was no one to aid them. And a young farm girl, skilled, courageous, and willing to do good - forced to endure suffering of the body, and of the heart."

The figure shook her head. "You are not the legendary hero. But that does not mean that you are not a hero in your own right. Your destiny is not to save the world - it is to save _lives_, lives that would be lost without an unlikely ally in the right place at the right time."

She held out her hand, and a golden triangle manifested above it, illuminating the room before her. "And to bring hope to those who desperately need it."

Linkle blinked as she recognized the face. "Lana?"

The white sorceress nodded. "I did say the timeline needs an observer, didn't I? Cia and I can see across the ages, we can see all that was - and all that would have been. And I know that you can do more to help this world than any hero could do saving it entire."

"C-Can I really?"

"The world can never have enough heroes," Lana assured her - and the words had a strength that they hadn't had when Zelda had spoken them. "You've done so much already."

Slowly, Linkle got to her feet, picking up her crossbows and hooking them on her boots once more. "Th-Thank you," she insisted, and there was sincerity in her words. "I... I needed that."

"Go," Lana prompted. "See that I'm not the last person you bring hope to."

Linkle nodded, starting on her way out of the temple... and then pausing at the door to the room of paintings. Lana angled her head. "Something wrong?"

"Is... there a reason this place still looks like Cia's stalker shrine?" Linkle asked.

Lana couldn't help herself; she broke into a fit of giggles. "The Temple of Souls reflects the observer's mental state," she admitted, "but it doesn't just change on a whim. Ganondorf's influence had been corrupting Cia for a long time coming before she started to wage war. It's gonna be a while before this place changes."

Linkle smiled, turning to face her. "You sure you don't want me to send some redecorators?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," Lana insisted. "Go."

With a light giggle of her own, Linkle made her way out. As she reached the edge of the hedge garden, she glanced back towards the temple once more; the doors were closing behind her, yet she could have sworn she saw Lana watching her with a strange admiration before they joined.

Once the farm girl had departed, Lana closed her eyes, remembering the events she'd seen play.

"You don't always get the person you think you deserve," she whispered to herself. "But that doesn't mean you need to spend the rest of your life alone."

She bowed her head. "I'm going to find you, Cia. I want you to feel that hope."

* * *

In time, Linkle returned to her village - and her neighbors were surprised to see her. "You're back!" one man greeted. "You were gone so long, we were worried something had happened!"

"Yeah, I had a few false starts along the way," Linkle admitted. "The Cuccos doing okay?"

"We took care of them while you were gone," another man assured her. "So, how did things go with those monsters? Did the princess like having the legendary hero to back her up?"

Linkle could have told them the truth - she knew they hadn't believed her grandmother's stories, and now she knew they had good reason. But she decided to play coy, stepping past them with a sigh. "Yeah, she did," she admitted. "But it was the soldiers who were really glad I was there. It felt... nice, making sure everyone was safe. And then I come back here, and look at this place - doesn't look like the monsters even showed up."

She glanced back at them. "It's good to be back home."


End file.
